Some readers may think that this the easiest question in the book. Surely everyone knows that the answer is Mount Everest, which rises 8,848 m (29,028 ft) above sea level! But what about mountains that rise from the sea floor? If you take them into account, then Mauna Kea, Hawaii, is 1,355 m (4,446 ft) higher than Everest. Mauna Kea, …

Kelly Holmes (born: April 19, 1970) is a British middle distance athlete. Regarded as the best female middle distance runner Great Britain has ever produced, she won gold medals in the 800 metres and the 1,500 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Early Life and Army Career Holmes was born in Pembury, Kent, the mixed-race daughter of Derrick Holmes, Jamaican-born …

The baobab tree is to be found in tropical Africa. It is a most strange-looking tree. Its barrel-like trunk can reach 30 feet or more in diameter, although its height is not proportionately great. It is a large gourd-like, woody, fruit containing a pleasant, cool tasting juice. A strong fibre obtained from the bark is used in Africa to make …

Pearls come from mollusks-a group of animals, which includes squids, clams, and oysters. Under its shell the mollusk has a mantle, or outer-skin. When a particle of dirt, or tiny marine creature gets stuck in this mantle, a hard substance forms around it. This makes the pearl. It is formed of the same material as the mollusk shell-nacre or mother-of-pearl. …

The breadfruit tree is found in the South Pacific islands and, to a lesser degree, in other parts of the tropics. It is an extremely handsome tree, growing up to 60 feet high. The oval leaves are a pleasant, glossy green and quite large. There are two distinct forms of breadfruit, one seedless and the other containing many seeds which, …

Water will boil anywhere, but it boils at different temperatures in different places. For example, it will boil at a lower temperatures up a mountain that at sea level. The boiling point of water is the temperature at which its vapour pressure becomes equal to the outside atmospheric pressure. As the atmospheric pressure is always changing so the boiling point …

In the beginning our universe was a mass of white-hot vapours and molten materials whirling about in space. Our world was formed from this. Astronomers believe it took millions of years for the cloud to cool, contract and begin to turn into molten rock. Modern astronomers think that many millions of years ago there was a huge explosion in space. …

Kelly Brownell — Kelly D. Brownell is an American scientist, professor, and internationally renowned expert on obesity. Brownell is Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, where he is also Professor of Psychology and Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health. His research deals primarily with obesity and the intersection of behavior, environment, and health with …

The first zoo was formed in China in the 12th century B.C. But it was not called a zoo. Wen, the ancient Chinese king who started it, wanted to collect different types of animals from all over his empire. He kept them in what he called a ‘garden of intelligence’, near his palace. Some of the largest zoos are in …

Keisuke Honda is an indispensable member of Takeshi Okada’s team. A prolific midfielder who will turn 24 the day before Japan kick-off their South Africa 2010 campaign, he dazzled for CSKA Moscow in the deep waters of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League, playing a critical role in their unforeseen charge to the quarter-finals. Honda started out at Nagoya Grampus, scoring …